1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin-processing device installed in a machine such as an automatic vending machine, currency exchange machine or the like, which determines the authenticity of coins inserted thereinto, and furthermore, sorts and holds coins regarded to be authentic according to denomination and selectively pays out coins in accordance with an amount of change.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a coin-processing device for judging the authenticity of inserted coins, sorting and holding coins regarded to be authentic according to denomination, and, if an amount of change is determined, selectively paying out coins in accordance with this amount of change, is installed in machines, such as automatic vending machines and the like.
In broad terms, such coin-processing devices are constituted by three elements, namely:
(1) Coin sorting section for receiving inserted coins, judging the authenticity of the inserted coins and sorting same, and separating and sorting the coins regarded to be authentic into different denominations; PA0 (2) Coin holding section comprising a plurality of coin tubes for collecting and holding the coins separated and sorted by the coin sorting section, for each denomination of coin; and PA0 (3) Paying out section for selectively paying out coins corresponding to an amount of change from the coin holding section, in cases where an amount of change is established.
FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional coin-processing device 1 wherein the constituent elements are installed inside a device main unit consisting of a frame.
In the conventional coin-processing device 1, the device main unit 3 consisting of a frame having an approximate square U-shaped cross-section which accommodates the three constituent elements described above is installed detachably on the rear face 2a of a door 2 provided in an automatic vending machine or the like (not illustrated), by means of fixing means, such as screws or the like.
Inside the main unit 3 of the coin-processing device 1, a coin sorting section 4 in which a coin receiving inlet 4a is formed, a coin holding section 5 comprising a plurality of coin tubes and a coin payout section 6 are provided, in this order from top to bottom.
There are also provided on the door 2, in a position below the coin payout section 6, a coin payout chute 7 along which coins paid out by the coin payout section 6 (change coins or coins regarded to be false) are discharged to a commonly known coin payout opening formed in the front face of the door 2 and a cash box 9 for holding coins overflowing from the coin holding section 5. The respective upper ends 7a, 9a of the coin payout chute 7 and the cash box 9 are positioned adjacently to the lower face of the coin payout section 6, that is, the lower face of a bottom base 8 constituting the lowest portion of the coin payout section 6.
The upper ends 7a, 9a of the coin payout chute 7 and the cash box 9 are located extremely proximate to the lower face of the bottom base 8, in such a manner that coins dropping from the lower face of the bottom base 8 do not spill into the gap therebetween.
On some occasions, the various components installed in the device main unit 3 are removed from the main unit 3, for instance, when there is a coin jam inside the constituent elements, or during maintenance and inspection work for carrying out tasks such as cleaning, and the like.
Referring to FIG. 9, when the coin sorting section 4 is detached from the device main unit 3 in the conventional coin-processing device 1 on such occasion, the latches of latching means (not illustrated) for coupling the device main unit 3 and the coin sorting section 4 together are released, and the coin sorting section 4 is removed from the front of the device main unit 2, as indicated from the arrow A. Then, maintenance and inspection work is carried out on this coin sorting section 4. When the maintenance and inspection work has been completed, the coin sorting section 4 is installed in the device main unit 2 by carrying out an operation opposite to the foregoing operation.
Referring to FIG. 10, when conducting maintenance and inspection of the coin holding section 5 comprising a plurality of coin tubes, the latches of latching means (not illustrated) for coupling the device main unit 3 and the coin holding section 5 together are released. Then, the coin holding section 5 is removed from the front of the device main unit 3 as indicated by arrow B, and maintenance and inspection work is carried out on the coin holding section 5. When this work has been completed, the coin holding section 5 is installed in the device main unit 3 by carrying out an operation opposite to the foregoing operation.
Furthermore, when conducting maintenance and inspection of the coin payout section 6 installed inside the device main unit 3, it is necessary to remove the bottom base 8 constituting the lowest face of the coin payout section 6 from the device main unit 3.
For the purpose of conducting the above operations, in the conventional coin-processing device 1, as shown in FIG. 8, the rear end of the bottom base 8 is supported rotatably about a shaft 8a which engages with L-shaped cut-outs 3a formed in either side of the device main unit 3, and the front end thereof is supported detachably by latching means 10 comprising coupling pins 9 which can be inserted into holes 3b formed in the sides of the device main unit 3. To remove the bottom base 8, after releasing the latches of latching means 10, the bottom base 8 is caused to rotate about the holes 3b formed in the sides of the device main unit 3, whereby the upper face of the bottom base 8 is opened up in such a manner that maintenance and inspection tasks, such as removing coins jammed therein, or the like, can be carried out.
A latch lever (not illustrated) for operating the latching means 10 is provided in the bottom base 8, and a structure is adopted whereby this lever cannot be operated from the front side of the bottom base 8.
As described above, since the coin sorting section 4 and coin holding section 5 can be removed individually from the front of the device main unit 3 by releasing the latches of the respective latching means for the coin sorting section 4 and coin holding section 5, when carrying out maintenance and inspection of the coin-processing device 1, there are no particular problems relating to workability for maintenance and inspection tasks. However, since the respective upper ends 7a, 9a of the coin payout chute 7 and the cash box 9 are positioned adjacently to the lower face of the bottom base 6 constituting the base of the coin payout section 6, as shown in FIG. 8, it is not possible directly to release the latches of the latching means 10 and rotate the bottom base 8 about the holes 3a formed in the sides of the device main unit 3, when the device main unit 3 is attached to the door 2. Therefore, when carrying out maintenance and inspection tasks relating to the coin payout section 6, it is necessary first to remove the coin-processing device 1 itself from the door 2 of the automatic vending machine, or other such machine, as shown in FIG. 11. Then, the latches of the latching means 10 are released and the bottom base 8 is rotated about the holes 3a formed in the sides of the device main unit 3, thereby opening up the upper face of the bottom base 8 as indicated by arrow C. Furthermore, when these operations have been completed, it is necessary to carry out the task of attaching the coin-processing device 1 again to the automatic vending machine, or other such device, illustrated in FIG. 8. Consequently, there has been a drawback in that such maintenance and inspection tasks are extremely complicated.